Radiator-core-assembling machine



jam. 15, 1924.

M. WlTTE RADIATOR CORE ASSEMBLING MACHINE 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 2 4,

jan, l5, 1924, lg

M. WITTE RADIATOR CORE ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed April 24. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /www PatentedA Jan. i5, 1924.

FFlQE.

MEINHARD WITTE, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

RADIATOR-CORE-ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

Application filed April 24, 1922. Serial No. 556,285.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MEINHARD WITTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in Radiatoi'-,Core-Assembling Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to vwhich-it appe-rtains to make and use the same.

My invention provides an extremely simin ple and highly efficient machine 'or appaframe for ratus for rapidly assembling the tubes a'nd radiating fins that make up the lcoresof radiators, such as iised in connection. with automobiles. Particularly, the machine 1s designed for the assembling of triangular tubes and thin sheet metal radiating ns of the character disclosed and claimed inmy pending application Serial Number416,083

diators. d

Broadly. stated, the presentv invention comprises av plurality of parallel tube-spacing plungers and an assembling box or roperly. spacing the radiating fins and ho ding the same while the tubes are simultaneously moved through the aligned tube passages of the assembled or properly spaced radiating fins.

The preferred -form of the machine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.A

`Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete assembling machinesome parts Ibeing -sec- 'tioned- Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 isa transverse vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking toward the right in respect to Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the 'same line as Fig. 3 but looking toward the left in respect:

to Fig. 1, i

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective showing a group of tube-spacing plungers with portionspof the tubes thereon;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective show- `ing a portion ofthe so-called fin-assembling box' Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan showing a portion of the lower the assembling box;

Fig. S is a bottom plan view showing a portion of the upper plateor section of the assembling box; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective showing a portion of one of the radiating fins.

The several parts of the assembling machine are mounted directly or indirectly on a flat skeletonA bed frame shown as made up of parallel I-beams and suitable crossconnected beams.

Suitably anchored on the rear or righthand portion of the frame 10 is a cylinder l1 in which works a piston 12, the front end of which latter works through adjacent cylinder head ends connected to a cross-head 13, which cross-head is slidable on guide rods 14 rigidly secured to brackets 15 on the frame 10. A suitable motive fluid, prefcrably air, is alternatelyi delivered into plate orv member of opposite ends of the cylinder 11 from a sort filed October 11, 1920, and entitled fRa-` of a supply; pipe 16 having branches 17 inder. The numeral 18 indicates a threeway valve applied at the junction of the" pipes 16 and 17, and by manipulation of which the opposite ends of the cylinder, in alternate order, may -be connected tothe atmosphere and to the compressed air sup-` ply, so that by manipulation of said valve, reciprocating movement of the piston and, hence, of the cross-head 13 can be produced, at will.

The cross-head 13 carries a transverse bar 19 provided at its ends with lugs 20 in which trunnions on the endsof a rocker bar 21 are journaled.

The tube-spacing plungers 22 for the spacing of tubes, such as employed in the radiator of my prior application, are triangular in cross-section, are spaced to correspond to the proper spacing of the tubes in the radiator core, and at their rear ends are cated by the character a and the radiator tins are indicated `by the character b. These fins b,- which are preferably of sheet brass or copper, are, as illustrated, of the character disclosed and claimed in my prior pending applicat-ion above identied and they are corrugated, provided with overturned edges b1 and are formed with triangular tube passagest2 and upstanding tube-engaging lips b3, as best shown in F ig. 9.

The so-called assembling box for holdingl and spacing the radiating ins Z) is madeup of a lower or bottom plate 24 and an upper or top plate 25. The bottom plate 24: is provided with parallel transverse slits 26 thatreceive the lower portions of the properly assembled radiator tins b, and the upper plate 25, in its under side, is formed with similar transverse slits 27 that receive the upper portions of said fins. The webs formed on the upper portion of the bottom plate 24 by the slits 26 are provided with approximately `l-shaped transversely spaced notches 28 that receive the laterally bent lips b3 of the assembled radiatorlins and hold the tube passages b2 in alignment for the insertion therethrough of the triangular tubes a. Thewebs formed in the upper side of the top plate 25 are likewise formed with angular notches 29 that engage the upper portion of the u per row` of lips b3 and further assist in hol ing the radiator fins with their tube passages b2 properly aligned. To firmly but detachably hold the two lates 24 and 25 clamped onto the assemb ed radiator fins, I preferably employ approximately U-shaped clamps 30, the prongs of which flare slightly so that when forced to position onto the two plates, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, they firmly clamp the assembled radiator fins b in proper relative positions for the insertion therethrough of the triangular tubes a.

In the operation of this assembling machine,l the tubes a will be placed' on the plungersl 22 while the latter are turned upward, as indicated by dotted lines in lFig.

.1. As a convenient means for oscillating the rocker bar 21, it is shown as provide at one end with a projecting arm 31 equipped with a weight 32 which is of less weight than the plungers but will operate to gravity-hold the plungers in upturned positions when they are moved to such positions.

When the plungers equipped with the tubes are turned down to horizontal position, as shown by full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, they are aligned with the tube passages in the assembled fins b contained in the assembling box or frame, and they will be gravity-held in such'position.

en air is introduced into the rear end of the cylinder 11, the piston 12, cross-head and plungers will be moved forward and the tubes will be forced through the ali ed tube passages of the assembled tins. rlgllilus, by a single movement, all of the tubes of the radiator core will be properly assembled with all of the radiator` fins. When air is introduced into-the front end of the cylinder 11, the piston 12 will be retracted or moved rearward and the plungers 22 will be withdrawn from the tubes, leaving the tubes frictionallv held in contact with the lips b3 of the radiator fins b. `When the clamps 30 are removed, the top pla-te 25 will be released and may be lifted from osition and then the complete assemb ed radiator core may be lifted from the lower plate. As is evident, the tubes and fins of a radiator core may be very quickly assembled. 'lhe friction between the tubes and ns will be such that the core may be readily handled as an entirety and will require no other holding or connecting means while being subjected to dipping, soldering or sweating for the purpose of forming more permanent and rigid connection between the tubes and fins. t

The machine described, while especially designed for assembling of the tubes and fins of radiators such as disclosed in my prior pending application, may, nevertheless, be generally used for the assembling of tubes and lins for radiator cores and the like.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A machine/for assemblingthe tubes and fins of a radiator core, comprising means for spacing and holding the fins properly aligned in parallel arrangement, a group of parallel tube-spacing plungers, a support for said plungers mounted for Oscil latory movement to carry said plungers into and dut of alignment with the fins, and means for reciprocating the support t0 cause said plungers to carry t e tubes through the assembled fins.

2. A machine for assembling the tubes and tins of a radiator core, comprising means for spacing and holding the fins properly aligned in parallel arrangement, a group of parallel tube-spacing plungers, a support for said plungers, means for moving said support to cause the plungers to carry the tubes through the assembled ns, said iin-spacing means comprising upper and lower plates having slits for spacing the tins, and means for detachably connecting said two plates.

3. A machine for assembling the tubes and Yiins of ay radiator core, comprising means for spacing and holding the lins properly aligned in parallel arrangement, a group of parallel tube-spacing plungers, a support for said plungers, and means for moving said support to cause the plungers to carry the tubes through the assembled perand lower plates having parallel slits `for spacing the fins and having notches to receive and align lips -formed on the fins adjacent to their tube passages.

4.y The construction delined in claim 3 in further combination with U-shaped clamps detachably engageable with said upper and lower plates to clamp the same onto the 5. A machine for assembling the tubes A and fins of a radiator core, comprising means `for spacing and holding the ns properly aligned in parallel arrangement, a group of parallel tube-spacing plungers, a support for said plungers, means for moving said support to cause the plungers to m1 l'rythe tubes through the assembled fins,

and a sliding cross-head towhich said plunger support is'hinged for movements of the plungers from approximately horizontal to approximately vertical positions.l

6. In a machine for assembling the tubesV and fins of radiator cores, the combination With arhorizontal frame, of a in-spacin box adapted to hold the fins in assemble positions, a cross-head slidable on said` frame toward and from said assembling box, a plunger-supporting bar hinged to said cross-head, and a plurality of parallel plungers secured to said hinged bar and adapted when turned into horizontal position to force said tubes through the assembledns. l

In testimony whereof I alix my Signature.

' MEINI-IARD WITTE. 

